Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Choirs: Coronavirus

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what advice he received from the Chief Medical Office on preventing amateur choral singing in groups of more than six people under covid-19 restrictions; and what plans he has for that advice to be reviewed.

Caroline Dinenage: I know that the restrictions on singing are frustrating to large numbers of amateur choirs and performance groups across the country and that many people have made sacrifices in order to drive down infections and protect the NHS over the last year. I can assure you that everyone across the Government wants to ease these restrictions as soon as possible.However, it is important that we take a cautious approach in easing restrictions. We have followed the views of public health experts on singing. We are aware, through the NERVTAG and PERFORM studies that singing can increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission through the spread of aerosol droplets. This was backed up by a consensus statement from SAGE, resulting in the suggested principles of safer singing being published.We will continue to keep guidance and restrictions under review, in line with the changing situation. Further detail on step 4 will be set out as soon as possible.

Choirs: Coronavirus

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, for what reason covid-19 restrictions remain on the number of people who can sing together indoors.

Caroline Dinenage: I know that the restrictions on singing are frustrating to large numbers of amateur choirs and performance groups across the country and that many people have made sacrifices in order to drive down infections and protect the NHS over the last year. I can assure you that everyone across Government wants to ease these restrictions as soon as possible.However, it is important that we take a cautious approach in easing restrictions. We have followed the views of public health experts on singing. We are aware, through the NERVTAG and PERFORM studies that singing can increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission through the spread of aerosol droplets.this was backed up by a consensus statement from SAGE, resulting in the suggested principles of safer singing being published.We will continue to keep guidance and restrictions under review, in line with the changing situation. Further detail on step 4 will be set out as soon as possible.

Choirs: Coronavirus

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, for what reasons the limit on the number of people singing together is different for professional and amateur singers in step three of the roadmap easing covid-19 lockdown restrictions.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing more than 30 people in a community choir to sing outside as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Caroline Dinenage: I know that the restrictions on singing are frustrating to large numbers of amateur choirs and performance groups across the country and that many people have made sacrifices in order to drive down infections and protect the NHS over the last year. I want to assure you that everyone across the government wants to ease these restrictions as soon as possible.However, it is important that we take a cautious approach in easing restrictions. We have followed the views of public health experts on singing. We are aware, through the NERVTAG and PERFORM studies that singing can increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission through the spread of aerosol droplets. This was backed up by a consensus statement from SAGE, resulting in the suggested principles of safer singing being published. Professional activity can take place in larger numbers because it is work based activity and is exempt from legal gathering limits.We will continue to keep guidance and restrictions under review, in line with the changing situation. Further detail on step 4 will be set out as soon as possible.

Department for Education

Department of Education: Correspondence

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of correspondence sent by hon. Members to his Department received a substantive response within the service standard in each month of (a) 2018, (b) 2019 and (c) 2020.

Nick Gibb: The Government recognises the great importance of the effective and timely handling of correspondence.The Cabinet Office is currently compiling data on the timeliness of responses to hon. and right hon. Members from Government Departments and Agencies. This data will be released, and made available to Members, in due course.

Primary Education: Sports

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to announce the PE and sport premium funding for 2021-22.

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the PE and sport premium for 2021-22 academic year are planned to be announced.

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, by what date the PE and sport premiums for schools for 2021-22 academic year are planned to be announced.

Nick Gibb: The Department is aware of the importance of giving schools as much notice as possible of future funding. We will confirm arrangements for the Primary physical education and sport premium for the 2021/22 academic year as soon as possible.

Primary Education: Sports

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect of making an announcement on PE and sport premium funding with a short period remaining before the start of the 2021-22 school year on (a) the efficacy of programmes for pupil health and wellbeing, (b) additional costs for participant schools and (c) staff job security.

Nick Gibb: The Department is aware of the importance of giving schools as much notice as possible of future funding. We will confirm arrangements for the Primary physical education and sport premium for the 2021/22 academic year as soon as possible.

Outdoor Education: Closures

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many local authority-owned outdoor education centres have closed since March 2020.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education does not monitor, collect, or hold any information on outdoor education centres.

Primary Education: Sports

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he plans to provide funding through the 2021-22 PE and sport premium for additional work with schools in 2021-22 to improve levels of pupil physical activity following the covid-19 outbreak.

Nick Gibb: The physical education (PE) and sport premium can be used by primary schools to develop or add to their PE, sport, and physical activity provision, and to build capacity and capability within the school. This includes providing additional opportunities for pupils to be physically active to help with recovery from the COVID-19 outbreak. The Department has ensured that schools have flexibility to use PE and sport premium from last year where their ability to make provision was limited by the COVID-19 outbreak. The Department is currently considering arrangements for the Primary PE and sport premium for the 2021/22 academic year and will confirm the position as soon as possible.

Primary Education: Sports

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what metrics he has used to determine the effectiveness of school sports premiums.

Nick Gibb: The Primary PE and Sport Premium survey, published in July 2019, assessed the impact of the doubling of the PE and Sport Premium to £320 million from September 2017.The findings indicated that a large majority of schools identified that, following the doubling of the premium, there had been increases in the profile of PE and sport in supporting whole school improvement, the confidence, knowledge and/or skills of all staff in teaching PE, the level of competitive sport being offered, and the range of PE and sport being offered.The detailed findings can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/primary-pe-and-sport-premium-survey.In addition, local Active Partnerships conduct an annual review of a large sample of schools’ uses of their PE and Sport Premium including impact, and report the results of this review to the Department.